The Vatican Information Service is a news service, founded in the Holy See Press Office, that provides information about the Magisterium and the pastoral activities of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia...[+]

Last 5 news

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Vatican City, 10 December 2015 (VIS) –
This morning the twelfth meeting of the Holy Father with the Council
of Cardinals (“C9”) began in Vatican City. The meeting will
continue until Saturday 12 December.

Vatican City, 10 December 2015 (VIS) –
The Holy Father has sent telegrams of condolences to Cardinal Angelo
Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, and Archbishop Sergio
Alfredo Gualberti Calandrina of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia,
following the death on 9 December of cardinals Carlo Furno, Grand
Master emeritus of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of
Jerusalem, aged 91, and Julio Terrazas Sandoval, archbishop emeritus
of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, aged 79.

In his telegram to Cardinal Angelo
Sodano, the Pope expresses his deepest condolences to the College of
Cardinals and recalls Cardinal Furno's long and valuable
collaboration in the Holy See, especially as apostolic nuncio,
archpriest of the papal Basilica of St. Mary Major, and Grand Master
of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. Francis
asks that the Lord, through the intercession of Mary Salus Populi
Romani, welcome the cardinal in His eternal peace.

In his telegram to Archbishop Sergio
Alfredo Gualberti Calandrina, the Holy Father unites his prayers with
those of the pastors, clergy and faithful of Santa Cruz de la Sierra
that the Lord grant His light and peace to the cardinal who, “with
the light of faith and the strength of hope, stayed faithful to the
ministry he received, and with generosity and courage devoted his
life to the service of the Gospel, justice and peace”. In this
moment of inevitable human suffering, when the mystery of the Lord's
coming brings hope, he invokes the maternal intercession of Our Lady.

Vatican City, 10 December 2015 (VIS) –
As confirmed by the cardinal archbishop of Milan, Angelo Scola, this
morning during a press conference, the Secretary of State has
communicated that it is the Holy Father's intention to postpone
pastoral visits in Italy due to the intensification of activities due
to the Jubilee. As a consequence, the visit to Milan already
officially planned and announced for 7 May 2016 will be postponed
until 2017. Cardinal Scola observed that it will provided the
opportunity for the Holy Father to conclude the pastoral visit in
process in the archdiocese of Milan.

Vatican City, 10 December 2015 (VIS) -
“The Gifts and the Calling of God are Irrevocable: a Reflection on
Theological Questions Pertaining to Catholic–Jewish Relations on
the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of 'Nostra Aetate' (No. 4)” is
the title of the document published by the Commission for Religious
Relations with the Jews, presented this morning in the Holy See Press
Office. The panel was composed of Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of
the dicastery; Rabbi David Rosen of the American Jewish Committee,
the theologian Professor Edward Kessler of Cambridge, and Fr. Norbert
Hoffmann, S.D.B.

Cardinal Koch recalled that on 28
October this year, in accordance with Pope Francis' wishes, a special
general audience was organised to commemorate the promulgation of the
Conciliar declaration “Nostra Aetate” exactly fifty years
earlier. The audience was attended by numerous representatives of
other religions, whose presence demonstrated that the declaration
represented a cornerstone in the change in Church's attitude towards
other religions. The Commission chaired by the cardinal decided this
year to present a new document returning to the theological
principles of the fourth part of “Nostra Aetate”, extending and
exploring them in further depth where they regard the relations
between the Catholic Church and Jews.

He said, “It is an explicitly
theological document that intends to retrace and clarify the issues
that have emerged during the recent decades of the Jewish-Catholic
dialogue. Prior to this text, no other document of a strictly
theological nature has been published by our Commission: the three
preceding documents, 'Guidelines and suggestions for implementing the
Conciliar Declaration “Nostra Aetate” (No. 4)' (1974), 'Notes on
the correct way to present Jews and Judaism in preaching and
catechesis in the Catholic Church' (1985) and 'We remember: a
reflection on the Shoah' (1998), referred mainly to concrete themes,
useful for dialogue with Judaism from a practical point of view”.

The new document – summarised below,
along with a link to the full text – seeks to emphasise that
dialogue with Judaism after fifty years now stands on solid ground,
as during this period significant results have been achieved. “We
are very grateful for the efforts that have been made by both Jews
and Catholics for the promotion of our dialogue”, concluded
Cardinal Koch. “But it is very important to remember that, as
emphasised in the document and especially from a theological point of
view, we are only at a new beginning: many questions remain open and
require further study”.

Rabbi Rosen highlighted that the new
document shows “not only the advancement of the recommendations of
the 1974 Guidelines on 'Nostra Aetate', to appreciate and respect
Jewish self-understanding, but also a deepening recognition of the
place of the Torah in the life of the Jewish people and, in
accordance with the Pontifical Biblical Commission's work, an
acknowledgement of the integrity of Jewish reading of the Bible that
is different from the Christian one. Indeed, the very fact that the
document also quotes extensively from Jewish rabbinical sources is
further testimony of this respect”.

The rabbi also mentioned that, as
Cardinal Koch and Fr. Hoffman had already mentioned, “this is a
Catholic document reflecting Catholic theology. Inevitably, then,
there are passages in it that do not resonate with a Jewish
theology”. He notes the importance of appreciating “the
centrality that the Land of Israel plays in the historic and
contemporary religious life of the Jewish people”.

“Indeed even in terms of the
historical survey of the milestones along this remarkable journey
since 'Nostra Aetate', the establishment of full bilateral relations
between the State of Israel and the Holy See (very much guided and
promoted by St. John Paul II) was one of the historic highlights.
Moreover, the preamble and the first article of the Fundamental
Agreement between the two parties precisely acknowledges this
significance. Without 'Nostra Aetate', the establishment of these
relations would surely not have been feasible. The Fundamental
Agreement not only paved the way for the historic papal pilgrimages
to the Holy Land and thus to the establishment of the bilateral
commission with the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, but arguably reflected
more than anything else the fact that the Catholic Church had truly
repudiated its portrayal of the Jewish people as condemned wanderers
to be homeless until the final advent”.

“The reference to peace in the Holy
land as pertinent to the Catholic-Jewish relationship is also
important. The peoples there live in mutual alienation and
disappointment, and I believe that the Catholic Church can play an
important role in rebuilding trust, such as the initiative of prayer
for peace taken by Pope Francis. Let me express the hope that there
soon will be further initiatives to enable religion to be a source of
healing rather than conflict; and to ensure that these are
coordinated with those who have the political authority to pave the
way to enable the land and the city of peace to fulfil its name”.

Vatican City, 10 December 2015 (VIS) –
The Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews has published
today the document “The Gifts and the Calling of God are
Irrevocable: a Reflection on Theological Questions Pertaining to
Catholic-Jewish Relations on the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of
'Nostra Aetate' (No. 4)”. The text consists of a Preface and seven
chapters, entitled: “A brief history of the impact of 'Nostra
Aetate' (No.4) over the last 50 years”, “The special theological
status of Jewish-Catholic dialogue”, “Revelation in history as
'Word of God' in Judaism and Christianity”, “The relationship
between the Old and New Testament and the Old and New Covenant”,
“The universality of salvation in Jesus Christ and God’s
unrevoked covenant with Israel”, “The Church’s mandate to
evangelise in relation to Judaism”, and “The goals of dialogue
with Judaism”.

“Fifty years ago”, says the
Preface, “the declaration 'Nostra Aetate' of the Second Vatican
Council was promulgated. Its fourth article presents the relationship
between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people in a new
theological framework. The following reflections aim at looking back
with gratitude on all that has been achieved over the last decades in
the Jewish–Catholic relationship, providing at the same time a new
stimulus for the future. Stressing once again the unique status of
this relationship within the wider ambit of interreligious dialogue,
theological questions are further discussed, such as the relevance of
revelation, the relationship between the Old and the New Covenant,
the relationship between the universality of salvation in Jesus
Christ and the affirmation that the covenant of God with Israel has
never been revoked, and the Church’s mandate to evangelize in
relation to Judaism. This document presents Catholic reflections on
these questions, placing them in a theological context, in order that
their significance may be deepened for members of both faith
traditions. The text is not a magisterial document or doctrinal
teaching of the Catholic Church, but is a reflection prepared by the
Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews on current
theological questions that have developed since the Second Vatican
Council. It is intended to be a starting point for further
theological thought with a view to enriching and intensifying the
theological dimension of Jewish–Catholic dialogue”.

The first chapter explains that great
steps have been taken in the dialogue over the last fifty years, and
from a detached co–existence we have arrived at a deep friendship.
The Conciliar declaration “Nostra Aetate” (No.4) definitively
clarified, for the first time, the theological position of the
Catholic Church with respect to Judaism; the document has had a
profound impact on many levels.

With regard to the special theological
status of Jewish-Catholic dialogue, the second chapter affirms that
due to the Jewish roots of Christianity, the dialogue with Judaism
cannot in any way be compared with the dialogue with the other world
religions. Jesus can only be understood in the Jewish context of his
time, even though as the Messiah of Israel and the Son of God he
transcends that historical horizon.

God reveals himself in his Word, he
communicates with humanity. For Jews, this Word is present in the
Torah; for Christians, the Word of God is incarnated in Jesus Christ.
However, the Word of God is indivisible and calls people to respond
in such a way that enables them to live in the right relationship
with God, as explained in the third chapter.

The relationship between the Old and
New Testament and the Old and New Covenant is the subject of the
fourth chapter. There is an indissoluble unity between them, even
though the two Testaments are interpreted differently by Jews and
Christians on the basis of their respective religious traditions. For
Christians, the Old Testament is to be comprehended and interpreted
in the light of the New Testament. The Old and the New Testament are
part of the one and only history of the covenant between God and his
people, even though the New Testament is to be considered as the
fulfilment of the promises of the Old.

The fifth chapter emphasises that
through Jesus Christ – and through his death and resurrection –
all people have a part in salvation, all are saved. Although Jews
cannot believe in Jesus Christ as the universal redeemer, they have a
part in salvation, because the gifts and the calling of God are
irrevocable. How that can be possible remains an unfathomable mystery
in the salvific plan of God.

The sixth chapter considers the
Church’s mandate to evangelise in relation to Judaism. While in the
dialogue with Judaism Catholics bear witness to their faith in Jesus
Christ, they refrain from active attempts at conversion or mission
towards Jews. The Catholic Church does not envisage any institutional
mission towards the Jews.

In the seventh and final chapter, it is
concluded that engaging in fraternal dialogue, Jews and Catholics
must learn to understand one another better, to seek reconciliation
increasingly, and to commit themselves together to promote justice,
peace and the care of creation, and to make every effort to oppose
anti–Semitism. They must intensify their cooperation in the
humanitarian sphere in assisting the poor, the vulnerable, and the
marginalised, in order to become, together, a blessing for the world.